Cycling in Cork

Cycling is taking off in a big way in Cork. We are seeing strong and continuing growth in the number of people cycling all year round. The official launch of the Coke Zero public bike scheme in 2015 has boosted cycling in the city, and the city and county councils continue to expand cycling links and infrastructure. Although the cycle network is fragmented and poor in places, there are also some good examples of segregated cycling infrastructure. In short, facilities in the Cork metropolitan area are adequate for many adults to get on their bikes and get going.

Is the infrastructure good enough? One way to assess the quality of a cycle network is to ask the question: is there a convenient route that would be acceptable for a child to cycle with minimal adult supervision? In essence, that means dedicated infrastructure that clearly and consistently separates cyclists from motorised vehicles and pedestrians. That is clearly not the case in Cork (or anywhere in Ireland), but we contend that this is the standard that should be adopted and rolled out by Cork city and Cork county councils.

Public Bike SharingCork’s public bike sharing system in the heart of the city has been a great success. See the Coke Zero Bike Rental Site for details on how to sign up, locations of stations, and so forth.

Maps

Cycling routes in Cork CityWe’re developing a map of major cycling arteries in Cork city on the Open Street Map platform. Until then, the following map contains some of the major links around the city.